Chapter 24: Rain With my luck, it had started to rain as I stalked down route 119. I was furious, and I was so careless that I slammed Fortree's Pokemon center doors in and hit a kid in the face without apologizing. I booked my single room at the Center without noticing the natural beauty of the city. I was more focused on the fact that I had never booked only one room before. I stopped myself at the top of the stairs and thought. The last few hours had been crazy and hectic. I heard loud and various footsteps and I knew the group was coming up the stairs, so I ran into the room and cracked the door. "Either way, Nathan, it was unnecessary to call out your Pokemon during Jenn's battle," Vicky was saying and I was grateful that someone agreed with me. "It was, Nathan. Jenn was doing fabulous and she could've won without your help. And you've been really moody with her lately," added Zach. I smiled again. They were on my side! "Well, she's the one who's been being a stuck-up snob," retorted Nathan and if I had wanted them to know I was there, I would've ran out and kicked him in the shin. "No, she hasn't," exclaimed Josh. "She's been acting the same as always!" "Fine, take her side," Nathan mumbled grumpily. "It was uncalled for to say that she deserved to be hit. She used to be a really funny and loud person before she started going out with Taylor, but after they had been going out for about two weeks, she stopped talking to people and she kind of secluded herself. That really effected her, and that wasn't right to say that," stated Sam and I was so grateful that we had gone to school together. "She was kind of quiet when I first met her too. She didn't do anything funny or even laugh until after we passed Petalburg," remarked Nathan. He paused. "Now I get what you mean. That was cruel, wasn't it?" Josh nodded. "Yeah, it was. And it wasn't right for you to push her on the ground in front of her abusive ex-boyfriend." Nathan scratched his head. "I really messed up there. I probably reminded her of Taylor. I can't believe I did that." I wanted to burst out of my room and say that I couldn't believe it either, but I was still too hurt to see him. "I wonder where she's at right now," thought Zach aloud and I was pleased to realize he was thinking about me. "Hating me," Nathan said glumly. "I wish I could apologize to her." But even if he did, I wouldn't forgive him. They went into their respective rooms then, and I shut my door. I was going to stay here in Fortree for awhile. I was ahead of schedule and the league didn't start for almost four monthes. I needed time to clear my head. The next few days were hazy. I defeated Winona, that much I knew. I kind of hung out, but there wasn't much to do in Fortree. Three days after I had arrived, I finally wandered onto route 120. I had made my decision. After I challenged the League, that was it. I wasn't go to travel anymore, wasn't going to train. I would go back to Littleroot and just chill. Maybe I would stay in Rustboro and go back to school, or maybe I would even stay in Lilycove to find work. I was thinking about this as I advanced to the latter part of route 120, with the tall grass. It was getting late, and it was raining and there was no way to get back to Fortree before midnight, and it would take longer to get to Lilycove. I found someone's secret base and camped out, but not before the owner returned. The guy had blue hair and was probably around nineteen or twenty. He was kind of cute, but he had a serious look to him that reminded me of Sam. He looked like he was in a position of power. "Staying out of the rain?" he asked me. I merely nodded, wondering if he would kick me out. "Go ahead and stay." "Thank you," I said meagerly. I was feeling really grateful to him. "No problem, Miss Frost," he said nicely and I was surprised he knew what my name was. "How do you know who I am?" I asked him incredibly. "Everyone knows who you are, Miss Frost. You have quite the reputation as a trainer. Only the thing is, no one at all has seen you for a little bit. Even your group said they lost contact." "We had a disagreement," I said curtly and then changing the subject, I asked him who HE was. "I'm surprised you don't know. But you ARE new to the Hoenn region. My name is Steven Stone," he introduced. "And you already know that I'm Jenifer Frost. But most people call me Jenn, and occasionally Jenny." "So why are you in this area, Jenny? Travelling to get your next badge?" "No, I'm staying in at the Fortree Pokemon Center for awhile. Taking a break, getting my head straight before my only bout with the League," I informed him. "Why is it your only bout?" he questioned me, seeming somewhat surprised. "After the League, I'm going to give up battling and training," I told him and with that news, he seemed even more surprised. "And what would you do with your time?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow. "I guess I'd go back home to Littleroot, maybe work in the research lab there. I guess I could go to Rustboro and go back to school, but I don't really want to. Maybe I'd go to Lilycove and find some work at the stores, or the contest hall or whatever." "And waste your talent?" Steven asked incrediously. "What talent?" I asked him with an airy laugh. "I don't have any." "I think you have a great amount of talent, Jenny. You just don't have enough faith in yourself." "I don't think that's it," I laughed. "What would you do if none of those oppritunities worked out?" Steven asked me. "Maybe I'd go back to Johto and work in a gym. I was pretty good friends with the gym leaders in Goldenrod and Ecruteak. Or I could do something at the Battle Tower or the Olivine Harbors. I don't know. Maybe I'd leave for Kanto." "I think you should keep it up," he said seriously. "You could be amazing if you kept at it. Even if you have to travel alone." He knew how weary I was without Nathan. "Why don't you go to bed?" he suggested then. "I'm leaving for my home in Mossdeep. You should come see me when you get there." "I will," I smiled. "And you don't know how much your words meant to me." "I'm glad," he grinned and then he walked out the door. "Until we meet again." "Bye," I said and I slept dreamlessly until morning.